Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting

I’m scraping all this info from the official site but it looks like a pretty cool event. Basically after 16 years of planning and fundraising, the Vincent Thomas Bridge – the offical welcoming monument of the City of Los Angeles will be lit on January 30th ( that’s this sunday). Yes, it’s San Pedro but that shouldn’t stand in your way. I say that in all honestly knowing full well that I blow off events that are happening 5 minutes from my house for being “too far” but this really does seem worthwhile. The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce has the word:

Celebrate the lighting of “The Official Welcoming Monument of the City of Los Angeles.” Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and Councilwoman Janice Hahn will lead the lighting of the bridge with other officials and civic leaders. The ceremony will also include a tribute to the Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting Committee and hundreds of community members who raised funds for the lights over the past 16 years. The lights will be switched on at sunset. The ceremony is open to the public.

Limited free parking is available at Berth 94, at the Catalina Express terminal. Additional free parking is available at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Ports O’ Call Village, and 22nd Street/Miner Streets, with free Red Car rides and shuttle transport to the ceremony. The public can also view the bridge lighting ceremony from many public and private locations in San Pedro, Wilmington and Rancho Palos Verdes, as the bridge is visible from many neighborhoods in the surrounding community.

Now that I’ve talked it all up I have to say that I won’t be there because I’m still working the sixspace booth at artLA, but if I wasn’t… yeah…

12 Replies to “Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting”

Of course, even if you miss the grand lighting event, folks can just plan to make an evening down in San Pedro to enjoy a sunset, dinner and the bridge. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m wondering how the LEDs will photograph. I hope some folks will post links if they catch some good ones.

I was working directly under the bridge on thursday night (right where those cranes are in that picture as a matter of fact), and I got a sneak preview. They lit the lights for a little less than an hour, from just after sunset until a bit before six. They look pretty good, but I wish I had a (good)camera to take pictures of the “unlit” bridge. That’s the way I remember it growing up, and I guess it’ll never look that way again. (plus Áa change…)

BTW, for non-San Pedrans who make it down for this event, be sure to refer to the bridge as the “Vincent St. Thomas Bridge” or the “St. Vincent Thomas Bridge”. Locals really love it when you do that (although I’ve heard some of them cannonize the late city councilman, too). Also, remember to say “San Paydro”, not “San Peedro” so’s we can tell who’s “not from around here”. No Fraternizing Or Micegenation Allowed!

It sure as hell shouldn’t. San Pedro, unlike, say, Santa Monica, is actually in Los Angeles. The residents of San Pedro actually know what’s going on in Los Angeles, and give a hot shit about it. The Mayor lives here. The harbor area is the backbone of Los Angeles industrial and manufacturing economy, for chrissakes.

“Now that I’ve talked it all up I have to say that I won’t be there because I’m still working the sixspace booth at artLA, but if I wasn’t… yeah…”

Aww – I LOVE the Pedro love on the site – and prop to Phill for getting that “St.” language right. And the PEdro/Paydro aspects too.

Also – the lights will be on from sunset to midnight – meaning you’ll be able to remember your childhood of unlit nights after midnight. Best of both worlds, really.

Tons of dinner specials at local restaurants (check the bridge site at http://www.vtbridgelighting.org – sean linked to it too) so it’s really the best time to come check out LA’s hidden treasure district – Pedro.

Hey Slighted? Chip on your shoulder much??? I’m not sure what you were reading into my post but I was telling people they ACTUALLY SHOULD GO. I’ve blogged about events in SP before and people haven’t gone so I was saying that shouldn’t stand in their way, AND that yeah.. if I wasn’t working a both I’d be there too. Get over yourself.

You don’t need to add the “but that shouldn’t stand in your way.” I don’t say “Yes, it’s downtown but that shouldn’t stand in your way.” I just say “It’s downtown” or “It’s in Long Beach.”

I take offense at what I see as a bias in your post. If you are trying to actually encourage someone to come to this event, why reinforce the impression that San Pedro is out of the way? Presuming that you’ve been to Pedro, you know that it’s about 20-30 minutes from Downtown L.A.. Which is barely a trip by any L.A. standard.

Well, everyone has the right to be an idiot so right ahead. I clearly pointed out in my post that 5 minutes is too far for me. I have an art gallery that is 10 minutes away and I always here that it’s too far so if you can’t get it though your thick skull that I was trying to be positive about Pedro then there’s nothing I can do. I’ve told you what I was saying, belive whatever the hell you want.

Can you respond to legitimate critisism without resorting to insults? I came here and explained why and how I felt that your post contained the kind of bias that folks all over the South Bay have to deal with all of the time. I was very specific, and I didn’t personally attack you in any way. You could at least extend the same respect to the guests of your blog as they extend to you.

It’s not legitimate and that’s the problem. If I called you a racist would you deny it or have a discussion about it. I’m not anti-pedro. I’ve explained that I’m not anti-pedro and you insist on telling me I am. If you had a legitimate complaint I’d be happy to discuss it, unfortunately you don’t/ You are making things up and reading bias into places it doesn’t exist. You have showed respect, you’ve continued to push the issue that I have some problem with San Pedro. I don’t. I like it. I can only say that so many times, you don’t have to belive me, but you telling me I’m lying is no respectful nor does it ask for a respectful reply.

Come on everyone – where’s the love? We all [heart] Pedro. Yeah, for a moment, I was like “hey” too – but I very much appreciate the shoutout. It should be a great event.

The same thinking, by the way, happens in SF. Except it’s crazier there. I live in a neighborhood that many consider to be SO FAR away from civilized society. Reality: it’s 5 miles from said society. 5. But it’s a car-hostile area – and public trans always turns 2 miles into an hour, so what can you do?

I’m the first to admit that when I’m home in LA, I’m reluctant to drive out to the westside or Santa Monica or Silver Lake or wherever. There’s designated driver worries, parking worries, traffic worries, blah blah blah. So we all have our biases. Despite what Pedro may lack in entertainment, however, we make up for in natural beauty and the most perfect weather anywhere in the greater LA area.

So – I understand not wanting to drive to Pedro. And I also understand the knee-jerk (i mean that in a good way) defense reaction that most Pedrans are used to issuing when our hometown – an actual part of the city of Los Angeles – is maligned (or we feel it is).

But – c’mon kids. Let’s put down the small arms and make dinner reservations.